Hartz was an early investor in PayPal, and the company has other connections to the so-called "PayPal mafia"—a group of early employees and executives who have gone on to start or run other tech startups like Yelp, YouTube, Slide, Yammer, and others.

For example, Keith Rabois, who recently resigned as Square's COO, joined Xoom's board of directors in 2003.

Xoom says its fees are lower than those typically charged by banks and money transmitters for overseas transfers.

Xoom, which filed for its IPO last year, has been expected to kick off a busy year for public offerings. Investment banks, led by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, have been busily courting private companies seen as ready for the public markets.